Tom Thompson's Column

Hockey has changed significantly over the past quarter-century and the combine has, too. But what purpose does it serve? Approximately 100 top prospects gather in Toronto every year for the NHL Scouting Combine. They participate in club interviews and arduous physical tests in front of team representatives and media.

The most common question scouts get asked is "how do you get into the business?" Like all people in the player personnel departments of NHL teams, I spend a good deal of time on airplanes. I get my share of annoying seat-mates as well as others who are engrossed in their own affairs or drift quickly off to sleep.

The number of great Canadian goalies has been in decline in recent years, but why? Usually I am full of opinions in this space. I like to provide answers to questions commonly asked by hockey fans. Today, there is a different approach.

While high-level athletes might be able to play different sports, hockey isn't interchangeable because of one unique skill. Most sports fans remember when Bo Jackson was the talk of the athletic world. He quickly became an all-star in professional football and baseball.

With the holiday season upon us, the longtime scout and executive wishes all the best to everyone. To a number of people, Christmas is a religious holy day. To many others, it’s a family holiday. To virtually everyone in North America, the Christmas season is a special time of the year.

The return of Sidney Crosby this week was an exciting time for the NHL, but Lemieux's return in 2000 was miraculous. Like all hockey fans, I was thrilled by Sidney Crosby's comeback to the NHL. I have witnessed some of the frustrations encountered by world-class athletes as they try to recover from the effects of concussions.

The current New York Rangers staffer and former Winnipegger writes about his experience at this week's game when the Rangers were in town. Monday couldn’t have turned out better for me as a staff member of the New York Rangers and a former Winnipegger. Our team won a big 2-1 game in ‘The Peg’ to cap an arduous road trip and the entire day's experience provided more evidence that proved the extent of the NHL’s rebirth in the city.

Growing up in Winnipeg and then working for the Calgary Flames, this insider columnist has some fond memories of three of this year's Hockey Hall of Famers. At the recent Traverse City Prospects Tournament, I was shaking Mark Howe's hand and extending my congratulations to him on his well-deserved election to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Would the league benefit with a more drawn out schedule? And how would more playoff games influence any potential change? Change is the one constant in professional sports – from the product on the field to the scheduling of the games themselves and everything in between.

The long-time NHL scout explains why the longest-running prospect tourney is the perfect way to kick off a new year and help turn the page on a tragic off-season. When reflecting on the off-season, I’m reminded of the words of Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The native of Winnipeg talks about the exciting return of the NHL and why it wasn't the league's fault it didn't work the first time. Like any hockey season, 2010-11 has had its share of highs and lows. From the perspective of Canadian hockey, the return of the NHL to Winnipeg is one of the biggest "good news" stories in many years.

The former Minnesota Wild assistant GM speaks about the memorial in Minnesota and the funeral in Regina for 'The Boogey Man.' Oh what a difference two weeks can make. I had planned for this blog to describe some of the highlights of what has been the most exciting spring of Stanley Cup hockey I can remember.